Definition

A hormone made mainly in the small intestine that helps digest fats by causing the gallbladder to release bile and the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes.

Example

Cholecystokinin plays an important role in the digestion of fats after a meal.

Conversation

Have you ever heard of cholecystokinin?

No, what is it?

It's a hormone that helps with digestion when we eat fats.

That's interesting! I didn't know hormones played such a big role in digestion.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Cholecystokinin is formed from "chole" (from Greek "chole", meaning bile), "cysto" (from Greek "kystis", meaning bladder), and "kinin" (from Greek "kinein", meaning to move). The word refers to a hormone that stimulates the contraction of the gallbladder to release bile, thus facilitating digestion.

Memory Tip

Think of 'bile' ('chole') being stored in a 'bladder' ('cysto') and then 'moving' ('kinin') to aid in digestion.

Visually Confused Words